Abstract
Six surveys were carried out during July and August 2005–2007 in order to determine the Oligochaeta fauna of high-altitude lakes located in the Eastern Black Sea Range. With the highest peak, Kaçkar Dagi (elevation 3937 metres), and mountain plateaus at about 3000 metres in elevation, are the highest part of the Eastern Black Sea Range. This range is one of the most important glacial region in Turkey. Some physico-chemical features and Oligochaeta fauna of 39 lakes were determined for the first time, where no previous faunistic studies took place. As a result of the study, a total of 10 taxa was identified, comprising 3 species from Lumbriculidae [(Stylodrilus parvus (Hrabë & Černosvitov, 1927), Stylodrilus heringianus Claparede, 1862, and Lumbriculus variegatus (Müller, 1774)], 7 taxa from Enchytraeidae [(Cognettia sphagnetorum (Vejdovsky, 1878), Cognettia glandulosa (Michaelsen, 1889), Mesenchytraeus armatus (Levinsen, 1884), Mesenchytraeus sp., Henlea ventriculosa (d’Udekem, 1854), Henlea perpusilla Friend, 1911, and Henlea sp.)]. All the taxa represent new records for the region. Stylodrilus heringianus is recorded for the first time in Turkey.